Kevin DeYoung's Blog, page 175

Be Welcoming, Get a Good Website

I have never been one to encourage churches to chase the latest trends. The secret to successful ministry is that there is no secret. The most faithful and fruitful churches are those that plod in mission, persevere in godliness, and preach the word.

But increasingly, if your church does not have a decent website you're uninviting a lot of people who might otherwise have plodded, persevered, and sat under good preaching with you.

I am out of town on sabbatical for most of this summer. That means I'll be a church visitor again. And like most people under the age of 40 (or is it under 70?) when I check out churches I do most of my checking online. More often than not, when I meet a visitor at our church, they've already been to our website. Having a decent website is not about being hip or pursuing relevance. It's about being welcoming and hospitable.

Your website is the front door of your church for many, many people. If you'd put a greeter at the front door of your physical church, and line up ushers in the sanctuary, and set up a hospitality center in the lobby, and make sure all the signs are attractive and pointing in the right direction, surely you ought to take the same care with your church's website.

We may wish it weren't so, but it's reality: most people on the web looking for a church will never visit if your site stinks. What makes a church website stink? I'm no expert in web design, but as a new church visitor this summer, I can tell you what smells bad to me.

Extremely dated design. You don't need to be cutting edge with all the latest gizmos. But if you haven't changed your site in five years, you're almost certainly aging rather poorly.
Getting by on the cheap. Sometimes even newer websites look dated because they were designed by a beloved 55 year old from the congregation with a little web know how and some time on his hands. Not trying to knock 55 year olds, but your website will be used primarily by the young, so make sure it doesn't feel old. Again, you don't need to spend a lot of money, but the difference between $2000 and free will convince you that $2000 was worth it.
No information on the staff. Visitors want to know who "runs" the place. Give us pictures. Tell us about your pastor.
Basic information is hard to find. You don't need a lot of information on your site, but you need the most important items clearly marked. Service times, directions, contact information, and a statement of faith are some of the basics.
No opportunity to listen to recent sermons. What are you trying to hide?
Not enough information on childcare. Parents want to know what is available for their kids and whether they will lovingly cared for or sold to Ishmaelite traders.

While I'm at it, here are a few other things to think about:

More and more people get their information from smart phones. Consider building a church app, or at least see what your website looks like on a phone. Make sure the most important information is easy to find on a mobile device.
Bulletins are nice. I like to see what the order of worship is usually like and what's going on at the church. But you do have to think about phone numbers, names, and prayer requests that will go public.
Give some thought to how well the feel of your website matches the feel of your church. If your church is stately and traditional, don't design your site in all black, with hipster lettering, and a link to Relevant Magazine. Make the site feel fresh, but not inauthentic. People should be able to look up your church online and then visit in person without wondering if they showed up at the wrong building.

I bet many of you have experience with what works and what doesn't. Feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments.

Glory of God: In Jesus' Name

John 14:12-14

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (v. 13)

It didn't take long for my children to finish my prayers. Whether by the bedside or at the dinner table, all I had to say was "in Jesus' name…" and by two years old they could say "Amen!" Most Christians conclude their prayers "in Jesus' name", but we rarely think of this little habit as a means of giving God glory.

When we ask for good things in Jesus' name, God gets the glory. This doesn't mean God will give us more grandchildren, a house with 5000 sq. ft., or even healthy bodies just by tacking "Jesus" to the end of our prayers. It means that when we pray according to his revealed will in Scripture– asking for things like faith, godliness, and the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name–God hears, answers, and gets glory. If the kids in nursery started saying "By the name of Jacob [my five year old], give me that ball," and it actually worked, I would get glory through my son. I would beam with pride (and arrogance in my case) as kids handed over their toys at the invocation of my son's name. In the same way, the Father is glorified when we pray in the name of his Son.

7 Theses on "Celebrity Pastors"

Over the past months there has been a good deal of back and forth on the blogs (good blogs from people I respect) about the dangers of "celebrity pastors." As is often the case with these matters, there are many legitimate concerns to be made and many overreactions to avoid.

So, in no particular order, here are seven theses to keep in mind.

1. Celebrity is not a terribly helpful word. A celebrity is simply someone who is well known and easily recognizable. So in one sense, there are celebrity pastors. But "celebrity" often carries negative connotations, especially in Christian circles. A celebrity is someone who is famous for no substantial reason. We hear "celebrity" and think "vain," "status-seeker," "important for superficial reasons." Unless this is what we want to say about some well-known Christians (and maybe it is), we should avoid calling them "celebrity pastors." Both were famous and influential in their own circles, but there was a difference between Macho Man Randy Savage and Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

2. Popularity is, to use Jonathan Edwards phrase, a non-sign. Noting that Pastor X  is popular should not be seen as a value judgment. Hitler was popular for a time, but so was Jesus. It's no necessary sign of faithfulness or faithlessness that many people go to Pastor X's church or love to hear him speak or want to buy his books. Bigger may be better or it may be badder.

3. Factionalism is a danger, but factionalism is not the same as having a following. Many people are quick to bring up Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians about those who said "I follow Paul" or "I follow Apollos." But Paul is rebuking the church for divisions (v. 10) and quarreling (v. 11), not for having teachers. Being drawn to a certain preacher does not by itself mean you are committing the sin of factionalism. If you think your favorite teacher is the only one worth listening to, if you are passionate about following him rather than following Christ, if you get into pointless arguments for the sake of defending your teacher, then you are making the mistake Paul warned about.

4. The human heart is desperately sick; who can understand it? Popular preachers and teachers are not immune to vanity, pride, and self-absorption. Those who follow them are not immune from idolatry, gawking, and completely missing the point. And the critics of all this are not immune from jealousy, cynicism, and undermining the work of God just because it seemed to be working.

5. Men follow men. (And by this I mean, less elegantly, humans follow other humans.) So long as we remember the Hero, it's good to have human heroes (cf. Hebrews 13:7). Show me any great Christian in the history of the church and I guarantee he (or she) learned at the feet of some other great Christian. For some it's Whitefield or Hodge or Warfield. For others its Augustine, Aquinas, or Athanasius. For others is Susanna Wesley, Sarah Edwards, or Elisabeth Elliot. For others it may be Lloyd-Jones, Lewis, or Machen. Why should we be surprised that some current names will be added to the list of God's special instruments?

6. Give glory to God for his gifts wherever you find them. This entails three things:

1) We must always remember—and not just give lip service to the fact—that God is the one who apportions gifts to teachers, pastors, and authors. The churches get edified. God gets the glory.

2) Some Christians are more gifted than others. That's not just reality; that's the way God designed things. It will be better to learn about John Calvin from some teachers than from others (one of the reasons speakers are advertised at conferences). Often those with the more pronounced gifts are those with more pronounced influence. And those with more influence are usually better known than those with little influence. So as long as God apportions gifts as he sees fit, we will not escape the fact that some men have more notoriety and are used more powerfully than others. If you had to teach a class on the Reformation you'd certainly spend the bulk of your time on the likes of Luther, Calvin, Know, and Zwingli. The human mind can only comprehend so much, so we tend to focus on the men who (to our imperfect eyes) seemed to be used uniquely by God in his plan.

3) We ought to find ways to give great honor to the parts of the body that lack it (1 Cor. 12:24). This may mean thanking your faithful pastor more often even though his sermons will never be in a preaching anthology. It may mean writing a note to the servants at our churches with behind the scenes gifts. It certainly means that those with pronounced up-front teaching gifts should look for ways to direct attention away from themselves in order that they might honor "those other parts of the body." Senior Pastors in particular should find ways to publicly praise the rest of their staff. They should develop the habit of thanking others in private too. And they should pray for wives who aren't easily impressed (and recognize God's grace when they're not!).

7. Shame people only for what you are certain is truly shameful. Following your favorite speakers like teenage girls followed John, Paul, George, and Ringo is silly. But let's be careful not to make every Christian who's ever gotten an autograph or a picture taken feel like a dope. There are stupid reasons to wait in line to talk to a popular person. But there are God-honoring reasons too. Many people simply want to say thank you, or ask for prayer, or get a quick piece of advice. Judgments easily turn into judgmentalism when we don't know all the facts (1 Sam. 16:7). If in our desire to warn against the cult of personality we forget that God uses persons, we won't be doing the church any favors. Or God for that matter.

Grand Rapids Lip Dub

Pretty cool.

If this doesn't make you want to visit Michigan's second largest city, then it will certainly make you want to download Don McLean.

Kings of Judah: Abijah's 15 Minutes of Fame

2 Chronicles 13:1-14:1

And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. (v. 14)

The account of Abijah's life in 1 Kings 15 is brief and bleak. But the picture in 2 Chronicles is longer and more positive. The two accounts are not contradictory, just written for a different purpose. Kings wants to show how the exiles got into the mess they're in. Chronicles does the same, but also wants to point a way out.

Israel and Judah were at war and it was not a fair fight. Jeroboam, king of Israel, had an army twice the size of Abijah, king of Judah. But Abijah believed in more than numbers. He believed that God was on his side and would fight for Judah because they had not forsaken the Lord as Israel had done.

But the battle was not going Judah's way. Judah was attacked and ambushed on all sides. Then came the turning point: they cried out to the Lord for help (v. 14). God wants us to feel weak. He puts us in the battle, being attacked from the front and the rear, so that we will see our inability, and complete dependence upon him. He wants us to cry out to him, so he can win the victory and get the glory.

Make Every Effort

Count the letters carefully: effort is not a four letter word. Even those who believe in blood-bought, Christ-wrought, undeserved, sovereign, gospel grace do not despise effort in the Christian life. How can we? 2 Peter 1:5 tells us to "make every effort."

Of course, anyone familiar with this passage will remember that the effort enjoined by Peter is God-graced effort. Verse 3 says we have divine power through "knowledge of him." Verse 4 says we can become "partakers of the divine nature" through "his precious and very great promises." Verse 5 harnesses these twin turbines of Spirit energy when it says "For this very reason, make every effort." In other words, Peter holds up a pattern of godliness–increasing faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. This pattern relies on gospel power. And the gospel-powered pattern requires effort.

It is the consistent witness of the New Testament that growth in godliness requires exertion on the part of the Christian. Romans 8:13 says by the Spirit we must put to death the deeds of the flesh. Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us to put off the old self and put on the new. Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God and stand fast against the devil. Colossians 3:5 commands us to put to death what is earthly in us. 1 Timothy 6:12 urges us to fight the good fight. Luke 13:24 exhorts us to strive to enter the narrow gate.

Christians work–they work to kill sin and they work to live in the Spirit. They have rest in the gospel, but never rest in their battle against the flesh and the devil. As J.C. Ryle put it, the child of God has two great marks about him: he is known for his inner warfare and his inner peace.

Obviously, even when we work, it is never meritorious. Our effort can never win God's justifying favor. In fact, whatever we manage to work out is really what God purposed to work in us (Phil. 2:12-13; cf. Heb. 2:11). The gospel is truly the A-Z of the Christian life.

But let us not misunderstand what it means to be gospel-centered. As gospel Christians, we are not afraid of striving, fighting, and working. These are good Bible words. The gospel that frees us from self-justification also frees us for obedience. In fact, 1 Corinthians 6 and Galatians 5 and 1 John and Revelation 21 and a dozen other passages make clear that when we have no obedience to show for our gospel profession, our conduct shows we have not understood the gospel.

God did not tell the Israelites, "Work hard and I'll set you free from Egypt." That's law without a gospel. Neither did God tell them, "I love you. I set you free by my grace. I ask nothing more except that you believe in this good gift." That's gospel with no law. Instead, God redeemed the people by his mercy, and that mercy made a way for obedience. Gospel then law. Trust and obey.

Let us not make the mistake of Keswick theology with its mantra of "let go and let God." Justification is wholly dependent on faith apart from works of the law. But sanctification–born of faith, dependent on faith, powered by faith–requires moral exertion.  "Mortify and vivify" is how the theologians used to put it.

When it comes to growth in godliness, trusting does not put an end to trying.

Monday Morning Humor

Could use a little theological sharpening, but the inspirational skill is already there.

HT: JJ

The Most Urgent Need in the Church

Pastor, I wonder if you agree with these two paragraphs from Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book Preaching and Preachers?

But, ultimately, my reason for being very ready to give these lectures is that to me the work of preaching is the highest and greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called. If you want something in addition to that I would say without any hesitation that the most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also. (9)

Do you believe that? Do believe that you have been called to the highest and greatest and most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called? Do you believe the most urgent need in the church is not for better programs or for better leadership principles, but for better preaching? Do you believe. pastor, that the best way for you to serve the world is to study yourself full every week and preach yourself empty every Sunday?

Here is the other quotation.

We are here to preach this Word, this it the first thing, 'We will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word.' Now there are the priorities laid down once and for ever. This is the primary task of the Church, the primary task of the leaders of the Church, the people who are sit in this position of authority; and we must not allow anything to deflect us from this, however good the cause, however great the need. This is surely the direct answer to much of the false thinking and reasoning concerning these matters at the present time. (23)

Is that right? Do you believe that the primary task Church is not to redeem the cosmos or make a heaven a place on earth, but to preach Christ and him crucified? Do you believe that your primary task as a leader of the church is not cultural transformation but gospel proclamation? Do you believe the word of God will do the work of God?

Remember, pastors, as you step into the pulpit tomorrow you are charged in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.

Glory of God: Conspicuous Christlikeness

Matthew 5:14-16

"…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (v. 16)

The world is dark, so if Christians are the light of the world (v. 14), we are going to stand out.  We must live lives of noticeable piety so that God will be glorified by what we do in his name.

Our piety must have "right-wing" and "left-wing" virtues. James 1:27 says "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." As Christians, we cannot be against everything. We need to be for something–for the orphans and widows in affliction. That's the "left-wing." But we must be for more than the hurting or oppressed. We must also be for righteousness and moral purity. That's the right wing. We need both if we are going to fly.

No matter our particular passion, we must keep our conduct honorable, so that even when we are spoken against as too soft or too intolerant, others will see our good deeds and glorify God (1 Peter 2:12). When we live God's way no matter the cost, it shows to the world that God is more valuable to us than privilege or prestige, which brings him great glory.

Guest Post: Proverbs on Laziness

I have the privilege of working with the best Associate Pastor, Ben Falconer. He is not lazy! But his sermon a few weeks ago on laziness (from the book of Proverbs) was especially good. Laziness is one of the most respectable sin, and often the busiest among us are the most guilty.

I asked if I could post Ben's notes. They are worth perusing.

*****

Consequences of Laziness

Consequence 1: You will bring harm to yourself.

15:19 – The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.

10:4-5 – A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in the summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

19:15 – Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

Consequence 2: You will cause harm to others.

Best-case scenario: 10:26 – Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

Worst-case scenario: 18:9 – Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.

Social scientist Charles Murray identifies what he calls the "New Lower class: pleasant, inoffensive folks who consume more than they produce…They may break no laws and break no windows, but by not contributing, they are destroying." A society can absorb the underproduction of a few people, but when that number reaches into the millions, the consequences are high for everyone.

Characteristics of Laziness

Characteristic 1: You have trouble starting your work.

24:30-34 – I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a rubber, and want like an armed man.

14:23 – In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Alexander MacLaren, a nineteenth century Scottish preacher, says this about procrastination: "No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant."

Characteristic 2: You have trouble finishing your work.

12:27 – The slothful will not roast his game; but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

20:4 – The sluggard does not plow in autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

19:24/26:15 – The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

Characteristic 3: You have made an idol out of leisure.

21:17 – Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

John Piper famously challenges the American dream of retiring early and seeing the rest of life as one uninterrupted vacation on the Florida beaches. When God calls us to give an account for the last 20 years of our lives, our massive seashell collection won't seem very impressive.

Characteristic 4: You are undisciplined in your sleep.

6:9-11 (24:33) – How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

19:15 – Slothfulness casts into deep sleep; the idle person will be hungry.

20:13 – Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and have plenty.

26:14 – As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.

Characteristic 5: You are prone to making excuses.

22:13/26:13 – The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!"

Characteristic 6: You are restless with unsatisfied desires.

13:4 – The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

21:25 – The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

Bruce Waltke writes, "The appetite keeps normal people alive by driving them to work to satisfy it, but it kills the sluggard because his hands refuse to satisfy it. His unfulfilled craving kills him both by starvation and frustration."

Characteristic 7: You are wise in your own eyes.

26:16 – A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

One college professor wrote, "Even in engineering classes, many of the U.S. students expect to be given A's for inhaling and exhaling, and look at you like you have four heads if you suggest that perhaps coming to class, doing homework, and studying might improve their grade." Our pride and over-exalted self-image has made us lazy.

Cure for Laziness

3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Jesus Christ not only redeems our souls from the pit, he also redeems all aspects of our lives—our time, our attitude, and our work ethic. God gives grace when we are lazy with our time and with our minds. He has not only set a perfect standard for us in the Law, but he has also provided the perfect fulfillment of the Law in his Son Jesus Christ. When we repent of our sin and trust in him with all our heart, not leaning on our own understanding, then we not only have forgiveness in Christ, we also have the righteousness of Christ clothing us before the Father. Christ's Spirit in us empowers us to live in accordance with his Word. And so we can acknowledge him in all our ways.

In his Proverbs commentary, Derek Kidner says, "The wise man will learn while there is time. He knows that the sluggard is no freak, but as often as not, an ordinary man who has made too many excuses, too many refusals and too many postponements. It has all been as imperceptible, and as pleasant, as falling asleep." Laziness isn't loud and abrasive. We don't often notice it in ourselves or those around us. But with all the ease of our culture, we may be quietly drifting off to sleep in the cradle of laziness. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." Look to Christ and invite him to redeem your life and to redeem your time.